Col. Mark Mykleby
(USMC Ret), Founding Co-Director, Strategic Innovation Lab at Case Western Reserve University
Mark Mykleby is the founding co-director of the Strategic Innovation Lab at Case Western Reserve University. Mykleby was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps following his graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1987. He was designated a naval aviator in April 1990 and as a qualified F/A-18 pilot in December 1990. From January 1991 to May 2006, he served in five fleet fighter squadrons, executing numerous land-based and ship-borne deployments to the European, Pacific and Southwest Asian theaters in support of Operations Provide Promise, Deny Flight, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. In June 2007, Mykleby was assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) where he developed strategy for Special Operations Forces. From July 2009 until April 2011, he served as a special strategic assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that capacity, he co-authored with Navy Captain Wayne Porter “A National Strategic Narrative,” a concept and vision for a 21st century grand strategy for the nation. Mykleby retired from the Marine Corps in July 2011. From July 2011 until September 2014, he served as a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, working alongside Patrick Doherty to develop the framework for a new U.S. grand strategy.